[Alumni-chat] Legal Fund Needs - by Yazz Allen '66

[bdevine (bdevine at antioch-college.edu)]

Beth,

It was in 1997 that it was renovated with some funds from the estate of Miles Budd Goodman (for whom it is now named), some money from the MacArthur Foundation, and the sweat equity of dozens of alums participating in the work project who painted the renovated amphitheater and worked on removable benches for the venue.  It was the site of the summer theater institute from 97 to 2000, and has once again become a well-known venue for music and theater in the Miami valley.  I think there are many in Yellow Springs and among alums who dream of the return of Shakespeare Under the Stars as a regional event.

Bob


I do not know when your last visit to the Amphitheater was, but as a recent theatre graduate I can tell you it has been refurbished.  I believe in 1996.  Yes, the before pictures are extraordinarily sad.  But I believe it was this state that you refer to, not the present condition.  During my time at Antioch the department looked forward with tremendous excitement to the Summer block shows.  My memories of Romeo & Juliet in '99 are some of my best from college.  We we all greatly saddened when this tradition was allowed to die with the cutting of the Summer Institute Program budgets after Summer 2001.  However, this has not stopped the theatre department and the community of Yellow Springs from utilizing the Amphitheater as a valuable resource.  The YS Kids Playhouse group uses it as their resident space.  Musical performances such as Blues Fest continue to take place.  And classes and performances of the Antioch College Theatre Department are regular events.

I am dreaming of the day when "Shakespeare Under The Stars" returns to a place as a regional event, bringing faculty, students, community, and audience together.  And I am working to make that dream happen.  I hope to see you at the next show!  I'm nominating "All's Well That Ends Well".

-Beth R. '04